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Body Strength and Performance

Regular physical activity not only improves your physical strength and appearance, it also makes you feel good. A recent study tracked 174 previously sedentary men and women between the ages of sixty and seventy-five who participated in a supervised walking and stretching program. After exercising at least three times a week for six months, the participants showed significant improvements in self-esteem and reduced rates of depression. Six months after completing the program, participants who went back to a sedentary lifestyle showed deterioration in self-esteem and mood.

Muscle tissue is highly metabolically active. At rest, pound for pound, muscle burns nine times more calories than fat tissue. Strength training helps to build muscle, and the more muscle you have on your frame, the faster your basal metabolic rate will be. You should do strength training exercises at least two to three times per week. A great way to improve your posture and flexibility and keep your spine healthy is to incorporate strength training and yoga into your exercise routine. James and Joan O'Keefe recommend at least thirty minutes of strength training two or three times weekly and twenty to thirty minutes of yoga two to four times weekly.

Exercise temporarily alters the gene function in your muscles, making them more receptive to incorporating amino acids from a protein meal. Our ancestors usually found themselves eating animal protein after vigorous exertion, such as the typical effort required to track and kill a wild animal. Within an hour or two after strenuous physical exercise, the body anticipates that protein is likely to be consumed, thus making available the essential building blocks for growing stronger muscle and connective tissue and repairing damage. Whey is a biologically complete protein great for building and repairing muscle.

To become stronger and leaner, consume whey protein within one to two hours of an exercise session - especially one that involves strength training. If you prefer to consume whey at a different time, add it to your lunch cuisine: 8 oz of skim milk mixed with chocolate whey protein, with fresh raw carrots and tomato slices on the side.

CoQ10, a critical nutrient used for our bodies to generate energy, is also helpful for sports nutrition. A Japanese study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that the exercise training group who consumed CoQ10 had lower blood serum markers related to muscle fatigure and soreness. This result may derive from CoQ10's antioxidant properties whcih help protect the body from free radicals, which are dangerous compounds that tend to oxidize (rust) everything from DNA to cholesterol.

Use your body as it was designed and programmed over the millennia and engage in daily exercise from a variety of activities that incorporate aerobic and strength training as well as stretching exercises. Outdoor activities are ideal.